Sins Of The Father
by Lucy Maria Elmer
Summary: As Maggie Coldwell realises, scrubs hide a multitude of sins...
1. Chapter 1

Sins Of The Father.

I own nothing. I was just playing!

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These scrubs hide a multitude of sins. Sins that we don't want aired in public. Sins that we want to keep hidden until we are ready to truly face up to them and their consequences. I never thought I'd be the one having to hide something, needing to hide something until I find a courage which I was always so sure that I had within me until now. I'm hiding that something every day and it's breaking my heart that I cant find the strength to start to deal with things, to truly acknowledge this life changing occurrence, and to give in to the emotions that I'm keeping at bay because I am so terrified of what it means and how things will change forever.

I was always the strong one. Always the mother figure who wanted to take care of people; always the woman that people came to for advice and support. I was always quick to stand up for people who needed reassurance and strength themselves and who needed a shoulder to cry on because that's who I am. I care for people. I believe in people and I believe in doing what's right, but right now it's as if all the strength has been knocked out of me and I don't know how to get it back. Right when I need it; not just for my sake but for someone else so precious to me, it's all gone away and it's because of him. Because of one night. One wonderful, passionate night when I saw a side to him that I knew was buried deep within rise to the surface after a particularly distressing day.

He'd actually cried that night. He'd stood outside the hospital under the light of the stars and tears fell from his gorgeous eyes leaving wet trails down his cheeks as he saw me walking out of those doors. He quickly brushed them away but I knew that they were for me because that day he had been faced with losing me and for once in his life he was helpless, unable to sweet talk us out of the situation. Instead he had watched someone hold a knife to my throat and powerless to help me himself had to stand and watch while police diffused the situation and persuaded the violent patient to let me go.

I had never been so terrified in my life. It turns out neither had he. The absolute fear in his eyes as he watched that man tighten his grip on me and press the blade hard against the skin was something that I never thought I'd see. It was in that moment as he looked at me so frightened and helpless that I saw through all the bravado and cheekiness and saw something else, something I always suspected was there from the moment I heard him sticking up for the female staff members when dealing with a particularly arrogant lorry driver. I saw a man who cared, a man who wasn't all bravado and did get scared just like the rest of us. More importantly and something which was somewhat of a shock to me, I saw a man who cared for me.

How much he cared I had never really been aware of before. When he was playful, smacking my bum, kissing me on the forehead, doing anything he could to wind me up I saw it as part of a game. I saw exchanging sarcasm and wit as something that we did, part of our working life, just something that made us who we are. It was only when Selena pointed out that his playfulness was more often than not only directed at me that I began to suspect that maybe there was a bit more to it and when I saw him stood there, a deep rooted fear in his eyes, refusing to leave even as the police tried to persuade him to go for fear of him agitating my captor, I saw the same care within him that I saw later that night under the stars. The care that caused tears to fall from his eyes as he saw me walk out of Casualty, when earlier on there was every possibility I may never have walked out of those doors again.

"H…How are you doing?" He asked me, then clearing his throat as if trying to remove any emotion and once again keep things strictly professional.

I stopped in front of him and found that he was unable to meet my gaze.

'Were you waiting for me?" I asked him softly, a hand rubbing my bruised side where the man had dug his fingers in to me tightly as he tried to keep me from struggling.

"I uh…of course not…I uh…okay I just wanted to make sure that you were all right." He admitted.

I couldn't help but smile when the normally cool and calm Stitch Lambert was stood in front of me  
struggling to find words.

"You find something funny?" He asked and I could hear the frustration in his voice.

"No. No of course not. I'm touched…I just…Stitch you're not normally one to struggle with words. In all fairness its often hard to shut you up."

He smiled at my quick response and I found myself smiling back at him again, the trauma of the day forgotten for that moment apart from the pain that came from the bruises which had been inflicted upon me.

"Yes well…its complicated." He said simply. "So are you? Okay?"

I looked at the ground, the gentleness of his tone and genuine concern dredging up all kinds of emotions.

"I'm fine." I lied, feeling unable to burden him with the truth that I had gotten through the rest of the day on pure adrenalin and really I was absolutely terrified. I needn't have worried.

"It's okay that you're not. You don't have to pretend you're okay just for my benefit. It was quite the ordeal you went through today."

"Stitch I can't…" I started, finding it so hard to talk about what had happened but wanting so much to ask him if he really had been as scared as he looked.

He shook his head and put a hand on my shoulder gently to stop me from rambling.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Let me take you home." He offered.

"I'm okay really."

"Maggie…" He whispered brushing away a tear from my cheek that I hadn't even realised had fallen.

Suddenly I was overcome by sobs and found myself enveloped by his strong arms. He kissed the top of my head again, for all to see, only this time it wasn't to wind me up or to play around, this time it was to comfort me and show he cared.

"Let me take you home." He whispered into my hair, his voice breaking with emotion.

I nodded and he led me to his car still wrapped in his arms.

The journey passed in silence. I lay with my head against the cool glass of the passenger window while Stitch periodically checked to see if I was all right and to ask for directions. In no time at all we were outside my house. Josh was round Charlie's and wouldn't be home until late and the darkness and emptiness terrified me. Even sitting outside the house seemed imposing and threatening. I was frightened of being alone.

Stitch sensed my hesitance and took my hand in his own. His hands were surprisingly soft and he was gentler than I imagined he would be. He didn't say a word, he just looked at me.

"Josh is out…I uh…it's stupid but I'm…"

I couldn't believe I was finding it so hard. What could be possibly be thinking of me? I was usually so calm and collected and yet there I was a total wreck. Completely understandable of course but a wreck all the same. I couldn't believe I was sat here with Stitch and I was such a mess, whereas usually I'm so strong.

"I tell you what. How about I escort you inside, we order us a pizza and I'll stay until Josh gets back?"

I smiled softly but shook my head despite myself. I could think of nothing more reassuring than having Stitch there but it also scared me somewhat. I had seen the concern in his eyes, I had seen how he felt and having him inside with me away from work would mean having to confront so many issues that had arisen that day. I was terrified of being alone in that house, but I was also terrified of the emotion radiating between us that night.

"I'm just being silly. I'll be fine. Thank you for the lift…for…"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"All part of the service princess." He replied with a wink.

I opened the car door and slowly stepped out. I smiled at him in thanks and walked down the path towards my front door but I stopped dead as thoughts of the day ran through my mind, and once again the house seemed absolutely terrifying to me.

I didn't even hear the car door open and close but a few seconds later there he was behind me.

"So do you fancy pepperoni or cheese and tomato?" He asked me and I turned around and smiled gratefully at the man who had really shown me such compassion that night.

Conversation started off being light hearted to take my mind of the days traumas. It was only when the pizza had all gone and I took off my sweatshirt to reveal a vest top which had ridden up over my stomach that the full extent of the days drama came back to haunt both of us. My side had come up in big black bruises, as had my arms where the man had held me. I immediately reached for my sweatshirt to cover them back up but he stopped me. He simply knelt in front of me where I sat on the sofa and studied them, brushing them gently with his fingertips. His eyes were so full of concern.

"What did that son of a…? What did he do to you." He muttered, anger in his voice.

"He didn't know what he was doing. They did a tox screen before they took him to the Police Station. He was high on drugs."

He looked up at me with his eyes shining.

"That's no excuse. Look at you. My God Maggie I…we could have lost you today. He wanted to hurt somebody. Look at these bruises."

"I'd rather not if you don't mind. I'd rather forget it ever happened. Bruises fade. It could have been a lot worse."

"How can you say that? How can you forget if I doubt I ever will and I wasn't even the one who was being held like that?" He asked me and I struggled to answer.

"I'm sure you've seen a lot worse, a brave and daring Doctor like you." I replied staring at the carpet.

"Maybe I have but none of those things involved you." He replied sharply and as soon as he said it his cheeks went red and he turned away embarrassed.

His fingertips immediately left my bruised skin and it surprised me to realise I wanted them there again. His touch was comforting and gentle and seeing so much emotion that he was expressing for me was making me see him in a whole new light.

"You wouldn't leave me. Even when the police told you to. Why?" I asked him bravely.

I covered up my stomach again. My cheeks were getting hotter with every passing second.

"I would have done the same for anyone." He replied sharply and I inwardly cursed him for being such a coward when just a few minutes previously he had almost admitted that seeing me in that situation had hurt him more because it was me going through what I was.

"So you would have done the same for Josh or Charlie or Kelsey or…" I probed. I wanted him to admit what was making him behave with such compassion and care.

"Oh come on Maggie…" he argued and I knew that I'd hit a nerve.

"You would have stood there looking absolutely terrified if it was anybody else? You would have refused to leave? You would have stood outside the hospital and cried?" I asked him a lot more angrily than I would have liked when he didn't give me the answer I craved.

"You know what? Goodnight Maggie." He replied and quickly got up and walked to the door.

"I never had you down for a coward." I shouted after him angrily then cursing myself inwardly. I truly didn't want to be alone and I didn't want to push him away.

Fully expecting him to leave I pulled my knees to my chest and buried my head between them, preparing myself mentally for a few more hours alone in the house and then just like earlier he was kneeling in front of me again, looking at me with those eyes.

"I wouldn't have done the same just for anyone okay?" He admitted softly. " I wouldn't be here missing out on a hot date just for anyone and I wouldn't have cried just for anyone. You're right I was crying and I don't cry. What does that tell you Maggie?"

"You have PMT?" I responded weakly.

"Funny." He replied.

"Please don't leave me here alone." I pleaded, emotion getting the better of me.

"I won't. I promise you." He told me sitting on the chair next to me and pulling me into his arms. "I was so frightened of losing you today. I don't want to let you out of my sight." He admitted.

I rested my head against his chest and listened to the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat. His chin was resting on the top of my head and for the first time since that man had grabbed me in cubicles I felt safe. Gentle fingers stroked my bruised skin as he held me tightly and before I knew it there I was sitting facing him with my hands caressing his cheeks as we shared a kiss.

At first it was gentle and a little hesitant. We slowly pulled away and just looked at each other in shock.

"Maybe I should go." Stitch had whispered breathlessly.

"Do you want to?" I asked him.

"Do you want me to?" He replied.

We both shook our heads and the next thing I knew we were entangled in the sheets on my bed making love.


	2. Chapter 2

It was nothing like I would have expected. Stitch is a ladies man, but that night he was so gentle and so careful not to hurt me. He was attentive and tender, while passionate and giving and I fell asleep feeling safe in his arms and safe in the knowledge that there was somebody who cared for me enough to let me see into their soul like he had that night. He had saved me from a night alone in fear and I was so thankful that he was there. He was just what I needed and the only person that I wanted.

When morning came I turned in my bed and expected to see him but he was gone. There was merely a note which read :

Princess,

Thank you for letting me be your knight in shining armour. I'm sorry I won't be here when you read this, Josh came home and I thought I better leave. You look so beautiful when you're asleep. Last night meant a lot to me. I'm so glad I didn't lose you and that I could be there when you needed me. Take care of yourself. You need to find a good man to take care of you. You deserve that.

See you at work when you're recovered.

Stitch.

I was so disappointed by that note and in the days following. It was back to business as usual. Whenever I tried to talk to him about what had happened he avoided it and shut himself off. I can count on more than two hands how many times he walked away when I tried to talk to him about it. I don't know whether it was because I really meant nothing to him or because I meant all that he was avoiding me and us. I don't know if everything that had come out of his mouth that night was just a lie to make me feel safe and comforted but it was as if none of that days events had affected him after that night. Even the banter wasn't up to its usual standard. It was as if he had allowed himself to completely forget everything he had said, everything I had meant to him. It was if he had forgotten what had happened to me that day after all.

I wasn't so lucky. I had terrible nightmares and my thoughts often turned to Stitch and how considerate he had been that evening. I was left wondering where it had all gone and what I had done to cause him to shut off when he had just started to open up to me. I understood it wasn't like him to have emotional attachments. I understood he was probably suppressing any feelings that night had raised because he was a ladies man really and didn't know how to deal with such strong emotions for one person. But was that wishful thinking on my part? Was I just thinking that to justify to myself how he had treated me?

I was so angry and so tired. I wasn't sleeping so when I missed my period and I started feeling nauseous and exhausted at first I simply thought it was stress. I waited for my next period and it never came. I waited for Stitch to see if I was alright and to say anything that indicated that what had happened that night was more meaningful to him than he was letting on but I got neither and then when the backache came and the nausea continued I knew that he'd left me with a little more than either of us had bargained for.

I did the test at the hospital like Selena had done just months before, alone in the hospital toilets and in tears. Only I didn't have anyone to talk to about it. I didn't want to burden Selena when she'd had such a horrible time deciding what to do about her baby and so I decided whatever the outcome I'd go it alone.  
The two minutes seemed like hours and I was absolutely petrified. Stitch was avoiding me and he was hardly the paternal type. If I was pregnant like I suspected then I didn't have a choice but to be a single parent because I feared that even when I told him he'd deny and avoid any responsibility. That was if I decided that I would keep the baby. Then I remembered everything that I had said to Selena about how precious motherhood was. I thought about how awful it had made me feel to think that she was terminating a tiny life and as soon as the two lines came up on that test and I knew there was a baby I just knew that there was no way I was going to not bring into the world the precious little person that was growing inside of me. I loved it from that very moment and knew that no matter who its father was I would love it enough for both of us.

I couldn't bring myself to tell him. I was tired and nauseous and people often told me how pale I was but he didn't pass one comment on any of it. Days turned into months and I still hadn't told him he was going to be a father. I just didn't know how. Things were so awkward. If only he'd speak to me about what happened the night our baby was conceived. If only he would admit how he felt and that all he said was true instead of simply avoiding it. He never did though so I carried on as I was. I was going through all of it alone, the only one who knew about my unborn child. A bond that could never be broken. My stomach grew with the life inside of it, although as it is now I'm four months gone and my scrubs still hide it. My sin, my baby. Our baby.

I'm amazed no one has guessed. He's probably too shut off emotionally to even try and figure out what's been going on with me. If anything he probably either thinks I'm pining for him or that it's the aftermath of the attack. That's probably what they all think. No-one knows what happened between Stitch and I that night. There have been so many times when I have rushed off due to nausea, simple things making my stomach turn that never would have done it before. There have been so many times that I have stood there at work with a hand rubbing my slightly swollen belly as I think of my baby growing inside of me and the night of its conception. I avoid coffee, I avoid lifting, I fall asleep on breaks and yet no-one has noticed my perfect little bump, or the gentle caresses to my stomach. No-one knows how wonderful it makes me feel to know that there's a tiny little person growing there inside of me every day or just how much I want to see it and to hold it no matter who it's father is and as the days go on it gets harder to find the strength to tell them. This baby is so wanted but the pregnancy has been so lonely.


	3. Chapter 3

It isn't a lot of blood. It's just spotting but as soon as I see it I find myself paralysed with fear. I pull my scrubs tight over my swollen belly as if to prove to myself the baby is in there and feel tears welling up behind my eyes when panic rises within me about my unborn child's well being. Am I losing my baby? What do I do? I love this baby with all my heart. I couldn't bear to lose it.

For a few seconds I allow myself to cry a little but I immediately pull myself together knowing that this isn't going to get me anywhere. I need help. I need to know if my baby is going to be okay. I need to tell someone. I need him.

I leave the toilets and I know that I must look a total mess. It doesn't help that before finding the blood I'd spent about a quarter of an hour with my head down the toilet heaving either. I've learnt how little it does for a girls complexion in recent weeks. I 'm in no pain but I'm white as a sheet and when I hurry through A&E looking for him I get many a worried glance. Charlie asks if I'm okay but I just brush him off and tell him I'm fine.

I find Stitch in the staff room having a coffee alone. He looks up at me but says nothing, just gets up to leave. My heart breaks but just as I think he's going to walk out he turns to face me.

"Jesus, you look white as a sheet. Are you okay?" He asks me and once again I see that concern back, just like that, like it never went away.

"I uh…I…Stitch I…"

Tears fall down my cheeks and he walks over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. He stoops down so he's at my eye level and silently pleads with me to tell him what's wrong. When that fails he asks.

"Maggie what's the matter?"

"I'm bleeding." I whisper quietly.

"Sorry what? Did you cut yourself? Paper cuts are evil things aren't they. You want me to take a look?"

I shake my head with frustration. I put his hands in mine and place them on my rounded stomach hoping that something clicks.

"I'm bleeding." I repeat calmly.

"Sweetheart I don't need to hear about menstruation." He tells me teasing but tears stream down my cheeks and I let go of his hands.

I lift up my scrubs and the jumper I have on underneath and show him my small bump. I take one of his hands in my own and place it over my stomach and our unborn child.

"Stitch I'm bleeding." I repeat and a look of sheer horror appears on his face as he realises what I'm trying to say.

"Maggie…?"

"I'm bleeding and I am so scared." I tell him softly.

For a moment he stands there shocked, his hand still on the bump and his gaze fixed on where it lays on my tummy.

"It's mine?" he whispers softly and sounding in awe. A completely different Stitch to the one full of bravado he shows to everyone else every day.

"If it's not… if I'm not…" I start and find myself unable to continue. I cant bear to even think that my baby might be losing its life inside of me. The mother who is supposed to protect it and keep it safe.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks me shocked. "It's my child. Look at you. You have a bump…a perfect little…my baby's in there." He finishes a little angrily.

"You avoided me Stitch. You avoided me and I've had no choice but to do this on my own. All on my own for the past four months…and now I'm bleeding and…"

I break down again and drop my scrubs back down over my stomach as sobs overcome me.

"Okay here's what we do. You sit down over there and give me a few minutes. We're going to find out if the little bean here is okay." He reassures me.

I look up at him with tear filled eyes and notice that his look absolutely haunted. He leads me shakily over to a chair and sits me down, then kneels in front of me.

"You told me to find a good man to take care of me. The morning after we made…slept together you told me that…in a note. You've acted like I don't exist ever since the day I was attacked. How the hell could I tell you that I was carrying your child?" I ask him, anger exploding.

"I don't know." He replied softly and I hear regret in his voice. "I'll be right back okay? Don't you move."

I shake my head and watch as he gets up and quickly walks over to the door. He turns back just as my gaze falls to my pregnant stomach and I place a hand on the bump, silently praying for our baby to be okay. I feel his eyes on me and look up at him. He opens his mouth to speak but closes it instead then leaves the room quietly as I burst into fresh tears.


	4. Chapter 4

Just ten minutes or so later the whirlwind that is Stitch Lambert bursts back through the door to find me still very tearful and clutching my stomach with fear. There's still no pain and I can't feel myself bleeding any more heavily but it doesn't stop me being fearful for my child's life.

"Ready?" he asks me quietly.

I nod and slowly get up. I make my way over to him and he leads me out of the room with a hand on the small of my back. I can sense everyone watching us as he leads me to a side room, two worried looking Doctors who usually bicker now slowly walking through the halls in silence.

We enter the room and he shuts the door behind us. Memories flood back of Selena and my doing an ultrasound on her in a room just like this, only hers was to determine the age of her baby not to determine whether or not it had been lost. He's set up an ultrasound machine and made the room comfortable for me which I appreciate more than I can say.

"I'd like to do this if that's okay with mummy?"

I nod and for a moment we both stand still just looking at each other, the reality of the pregnancy sinking in and the enormity of the reason we are in the room hitting us hard.

No-one else is here but us. I'm glad and it seems fitting to me that he is the one at my side and the one wanting to do the ultrasound. I make my way over to the bed and lie down, pulling my scrubs and sweatshirt up and my trousers down a little to give him full access to my small bump.

No words are said as he spreads the cold gel over my stomach although I feel him hesitate a little as he spreads it over the curve his baby has created in my belly. He turns the machine on and takes a deep breath.

"Ready?" He asks.

"Are you?" I reply.

In response to my question he places the wand over my stomach and moves it around until the image of our baby's form appears on the screen and I exhale in relief. I didn't even realise that I'd been holding my breath until I see our child moving about inside of my womb perfectly oblivious to the distress its mother has been feeling.

"Would you like to hear the heartbeat?" He asks me.

"Yes please." I reply, unable to take my eyes off the baby.

Just seconds later the strong heartbeat of my unborn child fills the room. I look at Stitch and see a multitude of emotions playing across his face as he holds the wand on my stomach so that we can hear the beautiful and steady rhythm . A small smile appears as he watches our child do somersaults inside of me. He's unable to tear his eyes away from the screen.

"Way to go there little bean." he says to the screen, a grin appearing on his face.

"I can't believe it's okay. I was so sure I was losing it. I was so scared when I saw the blood."

"Of course you were. Any mother to be would be."

"Were you scared Doctor Lambert?" I then ask him and I can tell I've caught him off guard.

He removes the wand from my stomach and freezes our baby's image on the screen beside me. He sits down on the bed next to me with his back to me and I can't see his face.

"They're expecting you up in maternity to give you a thorough check. I know the bean's doing gymnastics in there right now but I think it best to be sure." He replies handing me a tissue to wipe the gel away and still unable to look me in the eye.

I can't believe he's doing this again. He had shown so much emotion just with the look on his face while watching the baby on the screen. He had seemed so scared when we thought we might be losing the baby. He hadn't faltered in his concern and compassion since the moment I had found him in the staff room and put his hands on my bump, letting him know that I was carrying our child and that I believed it to be in danger. Now he knew everything was okay it was like he was shutting himself off again. Shutting himself off from me and from fatherhood at a time when we needed each other most.

"Don't do this Stitch. This…this is ours." I tell him angrily, motioning to the screen.

"I'm glad you're both okay really I am but I'm not cut out to be a father. You're going to be a wonderful mother Maggie but me…I'm not father material. I'm not father material or boyfriend material. I'd just screw it up."

"So you're going to ignore this? You were smiling when you saw our baby on that screen. When you saw it was alive you were glad, the same as I was. It's your son or daughter up on that screen and in here Stitch." I tell him pulling his hand over to my stomach. "You heard its heartbeat. It's a little person. How can you be so cold?"

"Please go and get checked over Maggie." he replies simply.

"Not until you answer me!" I shout angrily.

Tears are threatening to fall again and I curse him for doing this to me. I should just be happy that our child is alive and we should both be celebrating that our baby is safe and sound but instead my joy is being overshadowed by the fact my baby's father would seemingly rather forget he had any role in its life than admit it meant anything to him.

Just as Stitch opens his mouth to reply the door opens and Selena walks in. She freezes when she sees the image of the baby on the screen and me wiping the gel off my rounded stomach. I don't think I've ever seen her look so uncomfortable or Stitch so glad of an interruption.,

Stitch quickly gets up seeing his chance to leave and makes his way to the door.

"Don't do this." I shout after him, but it does no good and he leaves without even a glance back.

The door closes behind him and Selena and I are left alone in the room. She looks at me with understanding in her eyes.

"How far?" She asks and I can tell she's hurt that I didn't tell her about the baby before.

"Four months." I reply and watch as she walks over to the bed and sits next to me looking at my unborn child on the screen.

"And Stitch is…"

I nod and look down at my hands which now rest on my lap.

"That's quite the little bump you have there." She tells me rubbing it affectionately and smiling and for the first time that day I smile back.

"I was bleeding. I thought I'd lost it but it's okay. It's beautiful."

Selena nods looking at the screen wistfully, and I can tell she's thinking of her baby.

"Why did you not tell me sweetheart? Did anybody know?" Selena asks.

I shake my head sadly and she puts an arm around me. I feel comforted and I'm glad that she's there. I'm glad someone else knows about the baby and is sharing in the joy of its existence and the fact it's safe inside of me. For the first time I feel as if a weight has been lifted upon me and for the first time I am grateful to Stitch for being a pain in the arse.

"I only told him when I saw that I was bleeding. I felt that I should. It's his baby too. It would be so unfair if I miscarried and he didn't even know it was here. He was so frightened Selena but then when he knew the baby was okay it just….it all went away."

Selena shook her head.

"Men." She replies angrily. She rubs my back in circular motions and we both look at the baby. "I really hope it's a girl." she muses putting a hand on my bump again. "Don't you dare be a boy little one." She says teasingly and I can tell she doesn't really care if it's a boy or a girl. To her its already someone whose life she wants to be in.

I laugh at her and think what a wonderful mother she would have made to the baby that she terminated due to the doubts and difficulties she had over the man who was the baby's father and as to whether she'd be a good enough mother. I hope that she gets the chance to be the natural mother that I can tell she will be one day.

"He's arranged an appointment upstairs to get checked over properly. The heartbeat's strong and the baby's moving around like nobody's business but it's just to be sure that everything's okay."

"He must care if he's done something like that for you both. He may not act like no more than a prat but the fact he's arranged that shows he's at least a little concerned."

"Stitch Lambert is concerned with no-one but himself. Meanwhile I'm just glad that this little one's okay. I was so scared. I still am a little." I admit tearfully.

"Want some company petal?" she asks me and I grin at her and nod. "Come on then mummy. It's my turn to see my surrogate niece or nephews on screen debut." She tells me and arm in arm we make our way to maternity with Stitch's watchful eyes following us as we go.


	5. Chapter 5

I feel as if I'm walking on air when Selena and I return to the department. A thorough examination in the maternity department has confirmed that the baby is healthy and that both of us are perfectly okay. They reassured me that the bleeding sometimes happens in pregnancy but that I was right to get checked and did another scan which Selena watched in awe. Once again the baby was doing somersaults inside of me and when the sound of its strong heartbeat filled the room I almost cried tears of happiness when I thought about the other possible outcome of the bleeding that day.

I found my thoughts turning to Stitch as I watched the baby on the screen again and the midwife reassured me of how perfect my unborn child was. I pictured his face when he heard the heartbeat and saw his child's outline, how happy he looked and how awed he was by his unborn baby, but then those thoughts were filled with anger as I remembered how quickly he brushed any emotion to do with the baby away as soon as he was questioned about it. He was right, he wasn't father material and if he couldn't openly show any love for our child I didn't want him to be a part of its life. Whether he'd arranged the appointment or not he'd really hurt me by walking out of that room and that isn't the kind of man I want around my child, father or not.

After double checking that I'm okay Selena and I go into cubicles and I examine my first patient of the afternoon. Selena has to deal with an emergency and leaves the patient with me, giving me a reassuring smile before she leaves.

I rest a hand on my bump as I reassure the patient, picturing my child moving under my hand.

The curtains open and close again and I hear someone behind me. Thinking Selena has come back in I turn around and smile, but the smile quickly disappears when I see Stitch standing behind me looking a little uncomfortable and concerned. He's fiddling with a pen that he's holding and can't bring his eyes to meet mine.

"Doctor Coldwell could I borrow you for just a second?" He asks with forced confidence.

Unable to take any more of his mind games I sigh and move away from him. I continue to exam my patient and hope he'll just leave but he doesn't.

"It's an important matter Doctor."

I turn around and glare at him.

"That's funny. I didn't think you dealt very well with important matters." I reply quickly.

He still doesn't move.

"I'm busy." I then add quickly, trying my hardest not to let him see any more emotion than I've already shown him. He doesn't deserve to see how his behaviour is affecting me and I'm no longer going to give him the satisfaction.

"So give me a minute and then I'll let you go about your business." He replies.

Knowing that he's not going to give up until I go with him I smile apologetically at my patient and follow him out of the cubicle. He leads me to a quiet part of the department and checks for anyone listening. When satisfied he turns his attention to me and I see the haunted look return to his eyes.

"What do you want Stitch? What else could you possibly say?" I ask him, not caring how harsh I sound after the emotional ringer he's put me through that day.

"I want to know how the examination went."

"It's none of your business." I reply quickly and turn around so my back is facing him. What right does he have to know anything after walking out on our baby and I as he did earlier on without even turning back?

"Tough." I reply and start to walk away.

"Maggie please." He pleads and walks up behind me.

He wraps an arm around my waist and places a hand on my bump.

"Like you said this is mine too." He whispers into my ear.

"And like you said you're not father material." I reply pushing his hand away.

I turn around to face him and let the anger that has been building up towards him due to his behaviour over recent months. He looks hurt but I don't care. How dare he treat me the way he has, show concern for the baby only on his terms and act like he can only acknowledge our child when he feels like it.

"When I was waiting to have the scan I saw mothers up there alone. Strong single mothers with friends for comfort going through their pregnancies alone, preparing to give birth alone, mothers who know they can provide just as good a life for their baby on their own as they could with a partner and I got to thinking about you. When I was watching our baby up on their screen I got to thinking about you too. You know what I came up with? You were right. That's right Stitch I agree with you. You're not father material at all. I made a decision right there that you are not going to be named on the birth certificate and you are going to have nothing to do with this baby. As far as we're both concerned you're not this baby's father. You're off the hook Doctor Lambert. You can go back to womanising and we can pretend you played no part in this babies conception. Congratulations. Your complacency paid off."

He stands there silent. His mouth opens but he closes it again and I can tell he's at a loss as to what to say to me in response. This annoys me even more and I shake my head in exasperation.

"And just so you know my baby's fine. We both are. I have a patient to tend to. If you'll excuse me." I tell him walking away and when I glance back I see him resting his forehead against the wall, his face hidden from all that pass.


	6. Chapter 6

I sit curled up on the sofa in a vest top and jogging bottoms, a glass of milk in one hand and my other resting on my baby bump. I marvel at the bump that has formed as I sit quietly in my living room relaxing, my rounded tummy a reminder of the unborn child within me, and when I feel the love that I have for it wash over me I am filled with such relief that I'm still carrying such a precious little person inside me.

I never would have imagined having another child at my age. I love children but I'd made my peace with the fact that the two I have, the grown up two I have, would be my last. I would never have to change dirty nappies, nurse, sing to sleep or look after a little baby again unless it was my grandchild. Who knew Stitch Lambert would come along and turn my world upside down, giving me something that I never again thought I would have. Now I can't imagine things being any different. As much as I sometimes wish anyone else had been the father but him I am so proud of this bump and the baby inside of it. I cant imagine not wanting it or not having it and as scared as I am of doing it alone I know that with Selena's support and the love I have for this child already I am going to relish the new chance at motherhood I've been given.

I rub my bump and I picture singing my baby to sleep in my arms. I imagine nursing it, watching its tiny little hands curl around one of my fingers as it looks up at me gurgling happily. I imagine sitting next to its cot singing it lullabies, blowing raspberries on its tummy, the smell of baby power which will fill my house and the tiny little clothes and booties I will need to buy and when I picture all of those things I think how lucky I am that even someone as commitment phobic as Stitch could give me something that I love and want so much.

I can't believe how frightened I had been when I had seen the blood earlier. I don't think I've ever been so terrified in my life. Even when I was being held at knifepoint the fear that I felt wasn't as prominent as the fear of me not bringing my little one into the world in five months. I was so terrified that I was going to lose the one thing that really gave my life meaning and the one thing that I want to protect with all of my heart.

I felt so helpless today. I felt so helpless that there was nothing I could do to help my baby if it was in danger. All I could do was have a scan to see if my baby had died or was going to lose its fight for life and all I would have been able to do then was just wait for it to happen and know that my body had rejected the tiny little person that I love so much. That's why after knowing everything was okay and seeing Stitch act the way he had, that I told him I wouldn't name him as the father or involve him in the baby's life. He's one of the things I can protect my baby from. No matter how concerned I saw that he could be and how much I needed him to be the one I went to when I feared for our child's life he still refused to really acknowledge that the baby or I meant anything to him. Instead he preferred to avoid any kind of emotional confrontation, act like nothing had happened and then merely show concern when it suited him even leaving the room when I needed him to acknowledge his child the most. I already love this baby with all of my heart. It doesn't need a father who only loves it when he has nothing better to do. I don't need a man like that either.

I hear the doorbell ring. I put my glass down and get up off the sofa, tiredly making my way to the door. All I want to do is curl up with my duvet and the television and rest after such a worrying day but when I open the door to reveal Stitch standing there I know that right now I have no such luck.

I resist the urge to slam the door in his face and for a moment stand there studying him. He looks tired and a little bit of my heart feels sorry for the way he found out about the baby today. I realise that no matter how much bravado there had been and how much he had avoided talking about his thoughts regarding me and the pregnancy he must have been worried to have gotten the ultrasound as quickly as he did and to do it himself and while I'm angry with him I soften a little to see that he's found his way here.

I follow his gaze to my stomach and smile despite myself as he smiles.

"It looks good when you show that bump off. You have that pregnancy glow." he tells me.

"You didn't notice it before I came to you today." I reply.

"I didn't want to." he admits. "I didn't want to see how what I had done to you that night had affected you or to see that I was hurting you. I certainly didn't want to think that I may be a father."

I feel tears well up behind my eyes and do my best to keep them at bay.

"What are you doing here Stitch?" I ask him, my voice breaking a little as I cross my arms over my tummy as if to protect our unborn child.

He walks up to me and stands so close that I can feel his breath on my skin.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Funny that. Don't you usually just prefer to leave notes or walk away?" I ask him sharply.

He sighs and I can tell that I'm making this hard for him. I don't care either. He deserves to work at something for a change.

"I guess I deserved that."

"I know you did." I reply and turn away from him. I start to walk back indoors.

"I was scared today." I hear him call behind me.

I turn around and see him looking absolutely petrified at having to admit to something so personal. I don't react, just stand there and stare at him, silently prompting him to continue.

"The minute that you put my hands on your stomach and I felt that bump…the minute told me that you were bleeding and I realised what you meant I was scared."

"Why? because everything you thought about your life was suddenly turned upside down? Suddenly it wasn't all about you anymore and you couldn't be the selfish Stitch we all know and tolerate?"

"No. Because in one second all I could think about was you and our baby and that terrified me. All I could think of was that you were carrying my child and there you were standing in front of me saying you thought you could be losing it and there wasn't a thing that I could do to help you. I found out I was a father one second and that I may not be any longer the next and the fact you were carrying my baby and were going through such torment and had because of me…it upset me because I care about you."

"You have a damn funny way of showing it." I reply thinking back to how he had blown me off with a note saying I should find someone else, ignored me and avoided me which left me with no choice but to go through the beginning of my pregnancy alone, and then today how he'd walked out on me rather than acknowledging my unborn child was his and any emotions he had regarding fatherhood, the scan and any emotions he'd had seeing his baby on that screen.

"I felt awful the whole time I avoided you after we spent the night together but I didn't do anything about it because I was scared about what talking would mean. I knew I'd have to acknowledge what happened and admit why I did what I did."

"Any why did you leave me with that note? You were so…you know what? I don't even know why I still cling on to the fact that maybe the sweet man that was with me that night is the man you really are. You walked out on our baby and I as soon as you knew everything was all right. He was just a façade to get me in to bed." I shout unable to contain the anger anymore.

"I can promise you he wasn't."

"How? How can you when you've been nothing like him since?"

"If I didn't care about you and our child I wouldn't be standing here, outside your house, where everyone can hear me saying this. I want to be a father to our child Maggie. Seeing your bump then and now, seeing our baby moving inside you, knowing that it was okay after you came to me bleeding…It's my baby and I want to be involved…with both of you."

"Until something better comes along and takes up your attention maybe. I'm not willing to take that risk. If you can leave a room like you did today rather than deal with fatherhood or my questions then you don't deserve to be a father." I shout rubbing my stomach tenderly.

"Maggie stop getting worked up. It's not good for our child." He tells me concerned.

He walks up to me again but I back off raising my arms to warn him not to come any nearer. I'm too angry to deal with him.

"Don't you dare tell me what's good for our baby. I've spent the last four months doing this alone and that's how I intend to do the rest. You cant be a father only when it suits you, you have to be one all the time and you know something? I don't think you can because as soon as some bit of skirt comes along that you feel is worthy of your attention our child will be forgotten about and I'll be left to pick up the pieces. I meant what I said earlier. As far as I'm concerned you're nothing to do with this child and that's final."

"You don't mean that. You came to me today for a reason Maggie." He tells me softly and I can tell he's hurt.

My heart breaks because of everything we've said. I so want to believe what he's been telling me but I find it so hard. He's already hurt me so much. I couldn't bear to let my guard down and have him do that to me again and I couldn't bear for him to start to be involved with me and the little one if he's just going to walk away and chase after something new. The thought of Stitch going through the pregnancy with me is something that against all my better judgement is a thought that makes me happy. He really was the only one I wanted with me when I was so scared and his face when he saw the little one on that screen moving around is an image that will stay with me always. But can you really forget the past and learn to trust someone who's hurt you that much again even if he is the father of your child? I'm not sure I can.

"I came to you because you're its father and because some tiny little part of me cares enough for me to want to find you when I thought our baby was in jeopardy. I wanted you with me and I felt that you should know about the baby particularly if there was a chance that I might be losing it."

"I'm glad you found me. No matter how badly I behaved I am and I'm glad that you're both all right and for what it's worth I'm sorry."

I look at his tired face and I see the truth in it. I nod.

"I'm going to tell the department about the baby tomorrow. I don't want to keep it to myself any longer. I don't want to end up as scared as I was today because I didn't ask for help and end up hurting myself or this little one. I'm not going to mention anything about you but I thought you should know."

"I can't fix this can I?" He asks and I don't know how to reply. Instead I turn around and walk back to my door.

"Goodnight Stitch." I call without turning around.

I shut the door behind me and the tears begin to fall. I hold my pregnant belly as I sob, thinking of the night the baby was conceived and how awkward things now were. I walk over to the window and see Stitch climbing into his car and getting ready to drive away. Something falls out of his pocket onto the path but he doesn't notice, he just climbs in, puts his head in his hands and then rests them against the steering wheel. After ten minutes of sitting there like that, my heart telling me to walk out there and comfort him but my head warning against it, he drives off.

Curious I go back outside and walk over to the path where the item had fallen from Stitch's jacket pocket. I bend down to pick up what looks like a photo and gasp as I see what it is. It's a picture of our unborn child that has been taken from the scan Stitch had done earlier that day to see if the baby was okay. He must have printed one off after I had gone to maternity to have them check me over. There's no other time he could have done it. Stitch had gone back to the room to look at the scan of our unborn baby and had been carrying a picture of it with him right next to his heart. On the back of the picture, written in his handwriting are four words 'our baby, 16 weeks' .


	7. Chapter 7

I stand in the department with Selena at my side watching as the gang assemble around me. Selena and I rounded them up earlier telling them I had something to say and being the curious bunch that they are all did what they were told and are now standing here laughing and chattering amongst themselves as they wait for me to make my announcement.

Selena glances at me and smiles encouragingly as I try and find the nerve to speak but I'm finding it difficult to do. I know that after this moment everything is going to change. It has already in many, many ways but after telling the department about the baby I know that there will be no going back. Opinions of me will change and it will make it all so much more real knowing that they're all going to be aware of the pregnancy and want to know about the baby's origin and father. I'm ashamed of nothing. Not of my child, not of deciding to keep it and not of sleeping with Stitch. I'm just scared of taking that first step and letting my colleagues in, even if I know and have decided that it's best I do so.

I see Stitch come and join the crowd. He stands quietly at the back, watching me with tired eyes and giving me a supportive nod as I look at the crowd of familiar faces with a look of fear. Deciding its now or never I take a deep breath and smile at them all to hide my nervousness.

"Thanks for coming everyone. This won't take long. There's just a little something that I want you all to know and I thought it best to tell you all together. You see the thing is…"

I stop, finding it hard to get out the words. I look at their faces, their confusion and frowns and suddenly I clam up. I find myself wanting to cry and feel a bout of nausea threatening to overcome me. Great just what I need, morning sickness right when I want to make an announcement to practically everyone in the whole department.

Selena puts a hand on my back and rubs it gently, silently encouraging me to continue. I see Stitch step forward as if he wants to comfort me also but he thinks better of it and stays where he is, his eyes portraying the worry he is clearly feeling. Feeling stronger for knowing that he cares I decide that I can do this, no matter how hard.

I take another deep breath, this time more to battle the nausea than anything and sigh softly. I look at Selena who smiles supportively and then at Stitch who does the same but I find that I still can't do it.

They all look at me expectantly and I feel myself go red. I look at the floor to silently gather myself and then look down at the stomach I can see protruding subtly through my scrubs. I rest a hand on it and look up to where Stitch was standing and find he has gone. Instead he is walking over to my side and he puts an arm around me when he reaches me.

"Ladies and gents I hope you'll forgive the lovely Doctor Coldwell for her hesitation. I'm sure you'd agree that anyone would feel hesitant trying to announce something to you lot while not feeling one hundred percent."

I look at up at him and he smiles at me warmly.

"Stitch what…?" I start to ask. He begins to rub my back in circular motions as Selena was earlier and then turns back to the crowd.

"I also hope you'll forgive me for butting in. You see the thing is Doctor Coldwell here is carrying a child. An active little thing by all accounts who gave her quite a scare yesterday which is why she's decided to stand here and tell you all today about the little bean there." He tells them all motioning to my stomach.

He turns to face me again and I can't help but smile at him in silent thanks for telling them all when I had been struggling. I then turn to face the crowd who are all looking at me with confusion and shock on their faces. I open my mouth to speak but Stitch continues.

"I'm sure you'll all agree that being pregnant, Doctor Coldwell may need a little more assistance than usual, particularly after her scare with the baby yesterday. I presume that's going to be no problem with you all?" He asks.

They all shake their heads open mouthed and Selena and I can't help but grin at the stunned silence that has overcome the usually chatty bunch.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to put your minds at rest as you are all no doubt wondering who the father of this little one is." He comments, putting a hand over mine on my stomach.

"Stitch you don't have to do this." I mutter under my breath. "You don't have to prove anything."

"I will happily stand in front of you all and tell you now that the baby Maggie is carrying is mine." He tells them all as he completely ignores my statement.

There's an audible gasp from the group and many begin chatting amongst themselves.

I smile at them all a little uncomfortably and cant help but feel totally shocked that he has stood there at my side and in a public show of support and affection for me and the baby announced its impending arrival and his role as its father to them all.

"If any of you have a problem or anything to say about that I want you to come to me and air your views. I do not want anyone upsetting the mother of my baby do you all understand? I have done enough of that already and I shouldn't have."

He looks at me in silent apology and I look at the floor tearfully.

"I hold my hands up to this being unexpected news as I'm sure Maggie does too but it's happened and shocking or not our baby is here, its healthy and its going to be born in five months to a very proud mother and father. Maggie's got the bump and the morning sickness to prove it and a gorgeous little bump it is. So that's the announcement. I'll be in my office if any of you have anything to say about it. Otherwise have a good day." he tells them sternly, watching as they all disband off into their own little groups.

"I don't envy you today." He tells me smiling and patting the bump gently. "They're going to be full of questions. Women and babies." He comments shaking his head and following the gesture with a mock dramatic sigh.

I smile back at him and look up at him a little shyly.

"You didn't have to do that." I repeat quietly.

"Yes I did. I've behaved like a jackass. I wont go into it all here, after all the walls have ears." He comments rolling his eyes at Nadia and Kelsey who are watching us intently. "What I will say is that I'm sorry for how I've behaved. Finding out that I'm going to be a dad and seeing you have that scan yesterday scared me to death. It also made me realise that there's so much I've been missing out on in my life. And I want it all…with you."

I don't know what to say and as he bends down and plants a big kiss on the bump I blush.

"Now I really do have to get to my office. I have a pile of paperwork and Nathan's being a huge pain in the…"

I pull the scan picture out of my pocket and hold it out to him. He stops talking and looks at me curiously.

"You dropped this yesterday. Why didn't you tell me you'd gone back and got a picture?" I ask him.

For a minute he looks a little embarrassed at being caught but then he looks at me with a serious expression on his face.

"You didn't give me a chance. You were being all hormonal and you had every right to be. If you weren't going to let me be a father I at least wanted some part of the baby with me. Even in denial I wasn't completely heartless and unaffected by impending fatherhood. The beans a part of me."

He takes the scan picture off me, looks at it and smiles. He then puts it back in his pocket.

"Go do your paperwork." I tell him shaking my head and smiling at him.

"Going…" he replies holding his hands up in resignation. "Get me if there's any problems okay? Any at all."

I nod.

Stitch begins to walk away.

"See you later daddy." I say turning away with a mischievous grin on my face and I hear him stop in his tracks.

"Did you just…" He asks me a little shocked.

I turn around and grin at his reaction. I do love to wind that man up.

"Well you are its daddy aren't you? Now go before I get even more emotional."

Stitch salutes and walks away with a spring in his step. I smile as I watch him go. There is still so much for us to talk about but today he has taken the first step in fixing things between us in his acknowledgement of fatherhood and how he feels about it.

Selena walks up to me and gives me a friendly hug.

"I certainly didn't see that coming." She says stunned.

"Join the club." I reply truthfully before the morning sickness threatening to engulf me the whole time I stood in front of my friends overcomes me and Selena grabs me a bowl just in time.

"Ah the joys of motherhood." Charlie says warmly as Selena rubs my back. "Congratulations you." he adds giving me a small hug.

"Thank you." I reply wiping my mouth and then smiling happily because sick or not I know that there's a baby safely inside me and I couldn't love anything anymore than I do our little bean.


	8. Chapter 8

I stand in the toilets washing my face when I see him peeping around the door checking no-one else is in here. I frown at him, but a smile passes my lips as he sneaks in and walks over to me with a cup in his hand.

"My sources tell me you've spent half the morning with your head down the toilet. Is that a normal occurrence with this pregnancy?" he asks me and I sense the worry in his voice.

"Actually yes. I have been suffering quite a bit with morning sickness, evening sickness and the occasional bout of midday sickness. I've spent a lot of my shifts recently with my head down a toilet."

"Just something else I should have noticed and failed to?" he says quietly.

I don't know how to respond so I just stand quietly, feeling some sadness wash over me as I remember the loneliness I'd felt during this pregnancy up until now.

"I thought some peppermint tea might settle your stomach." he tells me handing me the cup. I smile at his thoughtfulness.

"Thank you." I reply taking a sip, my free hand resting on my stomach.

"So how are you doing mummy? Had any problems?"

I shake my head.

"None at all. Everyone's been very sweet actually. Very supportive." I reassure him, thinking back to all of the times this morning that people have offered their help, tips to deal with morning sickness and just been generally helpful and reassuring about the baby. "How about you? Anyone wanted all of the gory details?" I ask.

He walks over to me and stands in front of me so I can feel his breath on my skin and so my bump is pressing into his stomach. He rests his hands on either side of the bump.

"First of all I don't consider the night of this little ones conception to have any gory details. Second of all, I think everyone is either too stunned or too scared to ask anything about it, and I'm glad because it's none of their business. You and this baby mean too much to me for me to be freely discussing our night together or our child with anyone, although like I said if they ask I'll happily tell them how much I don't regret it and how proud I am that I'm going to be a daddy."

"How can you be so dead against talking about all of this one day and the next…" I ask him softly.

He strokes a bit of fringe out of my eye and then rests his hand back on my belly.

"It's not every day a man like me is given the chance that I've been given to turn my life around and to be a father to the child I'm having with a woman who I know is so good for me in so many ways. Who could be so wonderful for me if I let her. Its not every day a man like me finds out he's going to be a father in a situation where the baby could be in danger the moment he's told and feels the kind of unexpected fear that I did for you and our child yesterday. I never wanted to be a father. I never expected to be one, but seeing our child on that screen and you so in awe and so beautiful with that baby bump and so scared…"

"Stitch…"

"All I wanted to do was comfort you yesterday and that scared me half to death. I've never been the man who has found one person who means as much as you do to me before and I didn't know how to deal with that. The love I felt for the baby when I saw it on that screen moving around inside you and the love I felt and still feel for you…"

My heart jumps in my chest as he uses that word the one word I thought would never pass his lips in regards to me. He stands there quietly for a moment studying my reaction but I don't know how to react. It's not that I don't love him back, although sometimes I have truly wished that I didn't due to his behaviour, its just that those words are such a shock coming from him and after how he acted yesterday I thought they were words that I'd never hear.

"Yes I said love." He reassures me as I stand there open mouthed. "And yes I mean it. I'm not just saying it because you're carrying my baby. The day you were held by that man when I thought I could lose you…I was petrified. I wanted to be the one to take you home and take care of you and I was so glad that you let me. That night meant everything to me. Even more now that I know that night's what gave us this bump."

"But the note Stitch…" I ask thinking back to how hurt I'd been finding that note and him gone when I had woken up.

"That note was a stupid attempt of mine to stop myself from ruining anything but I ruined it anyway because you went through so much of this alone. I thought if I told you to find someone else then I'd stop myself from hurting you in the future. I was running away rather than being around and letting myself hurt the person that I care for.."

"If you thought you were going to hurt me then what makes you think you're not going to do it now?" I ask him quietly.

"I can't promise I won't falter Maggie and I can't promise that I'm not going to hurt you in some way or another. What I can promise is that I love you and I love the bean and I want to do everything I can to be a good partner for you and a good father to the baby. You'll need a lot of patience. I've not done the meaningful relationship before, hell I think I've been on a personal self destruct for most of my life but I am ready to work on it because of you. You make me want to."

I've never heard him talk with such emotion before and the tears build up behind my eyes. All I wanted during the start of this pregnancy was for him to be there. I wanted so much for him to stop avoiding me and avoiding what had happened and to just notice that something wasn't right. To notice my growing tummy and the morning sickness, to realise I was carrying his child and to stop being so cold. I never imagined when I did finally tell him for all of this to come around. For him to be standing in front of me today with his hands over our unborn child telling me how much we both mean to him. I realise I've been waiting four months for this moment.

" I was too much of an idiot to stay in the room yesterday when I was doing that scan and admit how much it scared me to see you going through the fear of the bleeding and losing the little one, and to admit how much it scared me that the baby might have been lost. I am so sorry for walking out. Sometimes I just don't know how to deal with things in any other way than…"

I put my finger over his lips having heard enough. His eyes are full of regret and I notice even unshed tears of his own.

"Who'd have thought we'd be here now hey?" I whisper softly to him, placing the palm of my hand against the side of his face.

He mimics my action and we stand there looking at each other, so much being said without words.

It's then that my stomach heaves again. I quickly pull my hand away and rush into one of the cubicles where I'm sick.

"Who'd have thought we'd be here indeed." He says behind me and I can hear the smile in his voice.

I turn to look at him and can't help but grin as he grimaces at the sight of me being so sick. His face is a picture.

My stomach heaves again and once again I end up with my head down the toilet, but whether he's struggling or not I hear him walk into the cubicle behind me.

He kneels on the floor behind me and rubs my back in circular motions as I continue to be sick.

"Your poor mummy little bean." He whispers kissing my back tenderly as he sits there in silent support.

I hear people come into the toilet and I grin as I wonder what they're going to make of me sitting there as I am now with Stitch behind me and the cubicle door open.

"Ladies." I hear him say cheekily and turn around to see Kelsey and Nadia standing there staring at him in shock. He looks so casual sitting on the floor with his legs splayed out and a hand on my back.

"And how's your day going?" he asks them as I bury my red face into his back and giggle.


	9. Chapter 9

I wake up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Groggily I rub my tired eyes and look at the clock. I've been fast asleep since the minute I sat down after getting in from work and its been three hours since I arrived home. I'm still in my scrubs and I haven't even eaten yet or had anything to drink since earlier in the afternoon, and when I think of the baby I inwardly curse myself for not looking after myself better.

After spending much of the morning heaving the morning sickness finally died down around midday and was replaced by tiredness. Stitch has been so sweet and supportive, a side I always thought was there but which has always been hidden under his bravado, wit and sarcasm until now. After spending much of the morning at my side while I was being sick he then found somewhere that I could go and get some rest after a hard couple of days, staying with me until I fell into a peaceful sleep and letting me lay there for a couple of hours before I awoke to the sound of him having an argument with Nathan outside the door about why a member of staff should be allowed to sleep while on duty. Of course Stitch won by asking Nathan if he would have done the same had Selena kept their baby and by letting the younger man know that he was just looking out for his baby and its mother. I was shocked, even after everything he'd said today that he could now talk so openly about what the baby and I meant to him. I'd waited so long for it and I never thought it was going to happen.

The doorbell rings again and tiredly I get up from the sofa and walk over to the door. I open it to see Stitch standing there with a couple of bags in his hands. He's still in his scrubs and obviously hasn't been home yet.

"Hey there princess. You okay?" He asks me softly. "Been sick again?"

I rub my eyes again and smile softly at him.

"No thank goodness although I'm sure I'll have that joy again tomorrow. I've been fast asleep on the sofa since I got in."

"That explains the rosy cheeks." He replies. "How's my bean?"

I feel tears well up behind my eyes and I feel so stupid but I can't help but feel I've let the baby down by not doing the simple things I should to keep us both healthy.

"Hey what's the matter? You're not bleeding again are you?"

I shake my head and burst into tears.

Stitch walks into the house and drops the bags on the floor before closing the door and enveloping me in his arms, softly kissing my hair as he rocks me gently.

"Hey, shush. It's okay." He soothes. "What's the matter?"

"It's so stupid." I reply unable to look at him.

"What is?" he asks rubbing my back.

"I just…it's stupid. You'll laugh at me. I don't even know why I'm crying."

"You're pregnant and hormonal. It's okay to cry really. I won't think any less of you. Come on tell me what's wrong."

He leads me over to the sofa and sits us both down. He continues to hold me in his arms until I quieten down.

"I've loved this baby since the moment I found out about it. I knew I could never not have it and yesterday I was so scared that I might be losing it but today I come home and fall fast asleep and I haven't eaten or drank anything for hours and I feel guilty. I feel like I'm a bad mother for not taking care of myself more for the baby." I admit.

I look up at him and expect to see him looking at me like I'm ridiculous. Instead he smiles softly and I see compassion in his eyes.

"Sweetheart you are most certainly not a bad mother. I've never met anyone who loves their baby more than you do this little one. You've had a bad day with morning sickness. It's no wonder you came home and slept. It's nothing to feel guilty about."

"But I should have…"

"You're tired. Look at you. You just needed some rest. It's not like you did anything on purpose and I know you would do anything you can to look after you both even if sometimes other things do get in the way. You are taking care of you and the baby. Please don't beat yourself up. Tell you what. Why don't you go and have a bath and get out of those scrubs and I'll fix you up something to eat? How does that sound?"

"Like heaven." I admit.

"Good. Now I'll go run the bath, you get a glass of milk for yourself and the baby and relax for a second. I'll be right back."

I go into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of milk as Stitch goes to the bathroom and sets about running a bath. I walk over to the sofa again and settle back, listening to Stitch running the water for me.

"You want Lavender or camomile bubbles?" He calls and I grin at his thoughtfulness again.

"Either's fine." I reply taking a sip of the cool liquid and smiling as the sound of him humming to himself fills the house.

One glass of milk later and Stitch is standing back in the lounge.

"Your bath awaits madam." He tells me.

"I just want you to know that I could have done this alone." I tell him immediately wishing I hadn't for fear of hurting his feelings and driving him away.

He walks over to me and kisses my forehead.

"You're a strong woman Maggie Coldwell. I know that and I have the utmost respect for you. You just don't have to do it alone anymore. You have me always. You both do."

I nod not knowing what to say.

"That is if you'll have me… I'd understand if you don't want me. I'm not the easiest person to be with and I have flaws and so much I need to work on but…"

I put a finger over his lips and quieten him with a kiss.

"If you're going to work on you then we can most certainly work on us. The Stitch I've seen these past couple of days is the Stitch that I saw the day I was hurt and have seen snippets of since you started here. That's the Stitch I've always known I could fall in love with and I have. You're my baby's father and even though at times you are a completely arrogant, self absorbed tosser I think I know enough now to overlook that." I tease.

He grins.

"Go have that bath, you're starting to fester in those clothes." he says playfully.

I swat him gently on the arm.

"Thank you." I then tell him gratefully.

"Anytime." He replies playfully patting my bottom as I give him a soft kiss before making my way to the bathroom for a long soak in the bath.


	10. Chapter 10

I lay in the bubbles letting the smell of bubble bath and the meal that Stitch is cooking wash over me. I study my stomach and its new roundness as I lay there and rub it gently thinking of our unborn child and how lucky I am for being given another chance at motherhood. Morning sickness and tiredness aside I wouldn't change a thing about having fallen pregnant or about the identity the baby's father. I think in a lot of unexpected ways this baby has saved both of us.

There's so many things that I'm looking forward to in both the pregnancy and afterwards as we watch our little one grow up and as I think of what's to come I can't help but get excited not just for what the future has in store for me and us but for Stitch personally. He's not got any children, this is his first and he has so many new and wonderful things to experience. He's got scans to see, where he'll be able to see how our baby is growing inside of me, his babies first kicks to feel, the wonder of the birthing process, the first time he has our little one to hold in his arms then all of its firsts, its first steps, the first time it says dadda…so many firsts. He's already so taken with our precious child. So in love with the little person he's only known about for a couple of days and my heart feels like it could burst when I think about the love his has for me and our unborn child because it is so all consuming and so unconditional. I feel so proud to be giving him something so precious to him.

I close my eyes and rest my hand over the curve of my stomach picturing what he'll be like as a father. I can't help but picture him holding the baby close to him and singing it to sleep or picturing him cradling it in his arms as he feeds it or soothes it or seeing him standing over the cot cooing over our precious little one with sweet baby talk like the proud father he is. I'm already so proud of him. I can't imagine being prouder than I will be when I see such heart warming moments and know that he's mine. Part of me is still scared though. Absolutely terrified I'll let down my guard and let him into my heart and our baby's life only for us to get hurt, but everyone deserves a chance and he's been so sweet and considerate. I think this time it's a risk worth taking.

I'm pulled out of my musings by the sound of a knock on the bathroom door.

"Mind if I come in? " he asks a little awkwardly and I smile at his hesitance.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before." I shout back to him though rearranging the bubbles a little to cover my dignity a bit better.

"Maybe not but I am striving to be a gentleman. I'm going to be a father after all." He tells me smiling as he enters.

"And how are babies made Stitch?" I ask him raising my eyebrows cheekily.

"True, true." He replies kneeling next to the bath and propping his chin up on folded arms at the side.

"What can I do for you?" I ask him looking into his gorgeous eyes.

"Dinner's in the oven and my baby's beautiful mother was upstairs. I got a little lonely. Besides I wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine thank you. We both are." I reassure him.

"Just what I like to hear." he tells me smiling. "You certainly look a lot more refreshed."

He reaches out and cups my cheek in the palm of his hand. I nuzzle my face into it and close my eyes.

"You're so beautiful." he whispers. "I think this pregnancy agrees with you."

"You have to say that to keep on the good side of my hormones." I tease.

"No I don't. Look at you. Look at those gorgeous curves and that perfect bump. You're glowing."

I can feel myself blush.

"It's the steam and the morning sickness making me glow." I reply cheekily. "You try spending your day with your head down a toilet."

"Well yes it's that too and I did thank you very much. You suffered and I suffered. We are perfectly equal." he says grinning.

"Oh really. You try carrying a baby for nine months, needing to wee every few minutes and then having to push something the size of…"

"I'd rather leave those magical things to experience when they happen."

"I'm sure you would." I reply watching his gaze take in the site of my pregnant tummy and body in the bathtub.

He reaches out and places a hand on the bump, caressing it with gentle fingers under the water. He looks a little sad and pensive.

"You okay?" I ask him softly and realise it's probably the first time I've asked about his well being since telling him about the baby.

I ruffle his hair playfully and he smiles.

"I'm just wondering what I did to deserve a chance at this and to deserve you. I've done so many things I regret. I'm a little scared I'm going to lose it all or mess it all up. I don't deserve it." he admits.

"If you'd have asked me whether I thought you did a couple of days ago I probably would have agreed with you and said no, but things have changed. I can see what a wonderful father you will make. You're already a doting daddy Stitch. I can also see the caring, sweet man there is underneath all that bravado and he is deserving of a chance to be happy and to be a daddy to his little one."

"Bean." he corrects smiling.

"Bean." I agree.

"Do you know how much I care for you Maggie? I'm falling completely in love with you. Do you realise that?" He asks and my heart skips a beat.

His eyes are filled with honesty and his gaze doesn't waver.

"If I hadn't been carrying your baby and come to you frightened I was losing it you wouldn't even be here now." I can't help but reply.

"Maybe not."

"Are you just around for the baby Stitch because I need to know." I ask him a little tearfully and his palm finds its way to my cheek again.

"If there hadn't been a baby you're right I probably wouldn't be here now." He admits quietly and I try to look away from him, but he holds my face gently so its looking straight at his. "But I do believe that I would have found my way here eventually baby or not. The bean just prompted me to get my ass into gear like I should have done straight away. I feel at home with you Maggie. You make me want to be a better man. You make me want to love and to be loved instead of having meaningless fling after meaningless fling and I do love you. Not just for carrying my child but for being you."

"How can I believe that after everything you've done? I know you love the baby Stitch but…" I ask him shivering a little. He immediately grabs a towel off the radiator and motions for me to get out of the bath.

I get out of the bath and he walks over to me, wrapping me up in the towel. He rubs my arms gently to warm me up and then holds me close to him so that once again the bump is touching his stomach.

"Believe it because I'm here. I'm here holding you in my arms thinking how lucky I am that a woman like you has let me into her life. All of the emotion I showed the day our baby was conceived was true. I was just too afraid of facing my feelings afterwards and I reverted back to old ways. I know now I shouldn't have done that. I should have been there while you did the test, I should have been there through all of the tiredness and sickness right from the start. I should have been here every night since telling you how much you mean to me because I cant bear the thought of ever losing you. I love this baby Maggie but I couldn't love anything as much as I love you. You've had me since I first saw you. I just didn't realise then how hard I'd fall."

He looks me straight in the eyes as he speaks and I can feel myself go weak at the knees when I hear something so meaningful come from the mouth of a man who is usually so cocky and arrogant.

"Well I can't say you've had me since I first saw you because to be perfectly truthful I thought you were a sexist, arrogant pig. That said I always thought there was a bit more to you than that and like I've said before if you're willing to work on the not so good parts of you then I'm willing to work on us because now you do have me. You did since the moment you defended the ladies of the department to that slimy lorry driver and even more so from the day you drove me home when I needed someone the most, even if you were a complete idiot for the months after. You have a family here Stitch and its a family you have every right to be part of now. You earned it when you started trying to put things right." I tell him meaning every word. "I love you too."

"I'm sorry I hurt you." He apologises as he wraps me in his arms. "Thank you for giving me the chance to make it right."

"You still have a way to go Stitch. While the things you've done have meant so much you can't just do a few things and then give up. You have to work at it all the time."

He cups my face in his hands, leans in and kisses me on the lips. Slowly he pulls away and studies my expression and I can tell that he's fully prepared for me to be angry or to tell him I've changed my mind. I do neither. Instead I lean in and kiss him back, my hand finding its way to his hair and ruffling it affectionately as I kiss him.

"How was that for a start?" He asks as we pull away from each other a little breathlessly.

I smile and then gasp softly, a hand on my stomach. Stitch looks at me worriedly but I smile.

"This one thought it was good." I tell him grinning.

"Maggie…?" He questions, a smile creeping onto his lips.

"I felt it move. Just like little butterflies in my tummy."

He wraps his arms around me happily, pulls me close and kisses me on top of the head.

"It looks like the bean's happy that its mummy and daddy have started to find their way. It's not alone in that you know." He says looking deeply into my eyes.

"No its not." I reply smiling and holding him close, thinking how perfect it was that our baby first moved during the moments we truly declared our love.


	11. Chapter 11

After eating the delicious meal that Stitch had made from ingredients he found in my sparsely filled cupboards we both sit on the sofa relaxing and listening to some music. I'm sitting upright with my head resting against the back of the sofa while stitch is laying with his head on my lap and an ear against my tummy listening for the butterfly flutters of the baby. It's then that he remembers the gift bags he brought with him. He gets up carefully and walks over to the door. He then picks them up and brings them over to me, setting them down on the sofa beside me.

"One's for you and one's for the bean. I wanted to show you how much you both mean to me, not just the baby but you too."

"You didn't have to." I tell him, so touched at his thoughtfulness.

"Maybe not but I wanted to. You had such a rough day with the sickness and letting everyone know about the baby and I know I haven't made this pregnancy very easy for you so far, or showed my feelings for you like I could have. Are you going to have a look?" he asks as he sees me fiddling with the handles and I see the fear in his eyes that come with the uncertainty of caring for somebody so new.

I pick up the little gift bag that's covered in little zoo animals and open it up to reveal gifts for the baby. I pull out an adorable soft teddy bear that I will place in the cot, a starter set for the baby with an adorable sleep suit, body suit, bootees, scratch mittens and a little hat with sweet little teddy bear ears on it. I then pull out two bodysuits, one with 'I Love My Daddy' on it and another with 'I Love My Mummy.' I start to tear up as I look at the tiny items and think of the little person I'm carrying inside of me.

"They're so perfect." I tell him tearfully.

"When I as walking around the shop looking at everything I couldn't believe how tiny it all was. It's so hard to believe that in a few months we're going to have a little person in our lives. There were so many things I wanted to buy for it." He tells me picking up the bootees, in awe at their size.

"Thank you." I say sincerely, smiling as he plays with the little shoes.

"Don't say that yet. You haven't seen what's in your bag. You were a little harder to buy for."

Curiously I put all of the baby's presents back into their bag and pick up the one that he's made up for me. He watches me a little shyly as I peek into it and pull an object out. The first item is some peppermint tea. I look at him and smile in thanks.

"It seemed to help you a bit today with the sickness so I thought I'd get you some more for whenever you need it." He explains, putting the bootees down and shuffling closer to me.

I rest my head on his shoulder as I continue to look through the bag and tear up again when I see all of the thoughtful items he's included. There's some cocoa butter to put on sore skin when I start to get bigger, a book on pregnancy and baby names, some lavender bath soak and some candles, a nursing cushion, a vest top which has baby in bold letters printed over the area where the bump will be, a cushion to help with the common pregnancy problem of piles which causes him to bury his head in the sofa and shy away from a slap and at the bottom, a tiny box. I look at him questioningly and open it to reveal a simple gold necklace with the word mum on it.

"Would you like me to put it on for you?" he asks me as I carefully lift it out of the box and hold it up to the light so that the gold glistens.

I nod lost for words and hand the necklace to him. He carefully places it around my neck, brushing my hair out of the way so he can do up the clasp without getting it caught. I turn to face him.

"It looks beautiful." He tells me.

"It is beautiful. Stitch thank you so much for all of this."

"It's the least I could do. I wanted you to know that I'm serious about you. About both of you. This necklace…when I saw it, it just meant something to me because the moment I truly realised how important you are to me was the moment you told me you were going to be the mother of my child and you thought you might be losing it. The moment I saw it inside of you I realised what an idiot I've been. I never wanted to comfort anyone as much in my life as I did then and the night you got hurt and I never wanted anything as much in my life as I do you and our child. I would give anything to go back to the days after we conceived the bean. I would give the world to have been there from the start. I've missed out on so much." He tells me and I can hear the sadness in his voice.

His gaze falls down to the floor. When he finds words like that it's not just me who breaks down hearing them. Sitting next to me is a man who's so used to hiding such a sensitive part of himself away, and even for me he struggles to open up.

I cup his cheek in the palm of my hand and turn his face so that he is looking at me.

"This is just the start." I reassure him entwining his fingers in mine and then placing our hands on the bump. "You missed out on the days of sickness and the worry of the early days but I managed okay. Today she moved Stitch. For the first time our baby moved. This is where it really begins. This is where we begin and where our family begins. The past is the past. We have to focus on her now and now we've really found each other, focus on each other too."

"Her?" He asks, his eyebrows raised.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling. They couldn't tell at the scan, it's a little early but I think this little bean is a little girl." I tell him looking down at my stomach affectionately.

Since the moment I found out that I was carrying this baby something inside me has told me that it's a girl. I can't explain it or put my finger on why I think so but anything I've bought so far has mostly been related to us having a baby daughter. I've bought so many little hats , bootees and dresses. I can't help but grin when I think about the amount of money that I'll have wasted if the baby is a boy after all. Again it hits me that if yesterday had gone badly and I had lost her that it would all have been for nothing and tonight I would be sitting here feeling nothing but emptiness. I fight the tears again as I think of that loss.

Stitch grins and kisses me on the forehead, knowing nothing of the sadness that I'm feeling when I think about how I could have lost her. I'm sure the same things have been going through his mind too and seeing him so happy makes me so glad that everything has worked out the way it has.

"A daddy's little girl hey?" He muses, gently caressing my stomach with his fingertips. "She's going to be beautiful. Just like her mother."

I feel my cheeks go hot as I blush.

"I would have thought the amazing Stitch Lambert would be itching to have a baby boy." I tease.

"I don't mind at all. As long as it's happy and healthy." He tells me shuffling down on the chair and kissing the bump.

I ruffle his hair.

"Though I'm sure a boy would have stunning good looks and an incredible personality just like his father." He adds kissing my belly again.

"Oh of course." I reply with a touch of sarcasm in my voice and he grins.

"Thank you." He says softly, looking up at me a little shyly, and I realise that he's scared.

"What for?" I ask.

"You had every right not to let me be a part of this. You had every right to turn me away and tell me never to come back after the way I treated you. I mean you don't treat the people you love that way do you. You don't let them go through a pregnancy alone or not even ask how they are after you spend your first night together. You don't avoid them…"

"You're right, I did have every right to turn you away and so many times I truly wanted to, but then you showed me something…"

He looks at me puzzled.

"You showed me that you consider me and our child as yours. You dropped that scan outside at a time when I could have just told you to leave me alone forever and when I saw it I saw into you. I saw how much we mean to you. That this baby isn't just mine or isn't just yours and a novelty that you'll get tired of, it's ours."

"It's always been ours. The night it was conceived meant so much to me Maggie as do you."

He sits back up on the sofa next to me and kisses me softly.

"I love you both so much. I never want to be apart from either of you. Four months was too long a time to not be with you and the bean. I don't intend to be away from you any more."

"Don't make promises you can't keep Stitch. I want you here with me and the baby. I'll give you the chance to prove yourself as a father and a partner but like you said there will be times when you may falter and if you do it too grandly then…"

"They'll be the times when I need you the most. I don't want to be that man anymore Maggie I can promise you. From the minute that man held you hostage I no longer wanted to be him. I only wanted to be yours."

"You had a funny way of showing it." I reply thinking back to those hurtful times of being avoided and ignored.

"I know I did and I'm so sorry. If I can show you every day what you and our little girl mean to me, then I will die a happy man. I don't intend to hurt you anymore and if I do no one will be more angry at me than I will."

I lean over and kiss him on the forehead and then on his nose. I go to kiss him on the lips but find myself yawning and then I feel myself blush again.

"Looks like mummy's tired."

"I'm sorry." I apologise feeling exhausted but not wanting the evening to end.

"You have nothing to apologise for. You need to rest for two of you now and it's been a long day."

I nod in agreement, thinking back to the absolute terror of standing there waiting to announce the baby's impending arrival to the department and then spending the rest of the day with my head down the loo.

"What do you say we have an early night?" He asks me and I hear the fear of being pushed away in his voice again.

"I think that would be lovely." I reply realising that I want nothing more at this moment than to lay in bed wrapped up in the arms of the father of my baby. A man who has proved himself so much in just a few days.

He takes my hand in his and leads me upstairs to my room. He helps me undress, kissing different parts of my body as he helps take the clothing off, marvelling at the bump when it becomes uncovered and kissing me on the lips as his fingers play gently with my hair. He helps me pull on a nightshirt and tucks me in before taking everything off but his boxers and climbing in to bed next to me.

I lay on my side and a little hesitantly he shuffles up behind me and spoons me so that his hands rest on my tummy and over our baby. He kisses my neck by my ear lobe.

"I love you both so much."

I smile at his words and put my hands over his, entwining our fingers.

"And we love you. We love you very much." I reassure him giving his hands a gentle squeeze.

"You saved me Maggie. My girls saved my life." he tells me a little tearfully and I lift his hands up to my lips and kiss his fingertips.

I don't ask him any more about what he means by that statement. I know that there are things about Stitch that haunt and torture him. Things that he's determined to overcome now he has realised his love for me and our child. I won't pressure him to talk. Part of me doesn't want to know. What I do know is I'll be here to listen when he's ready and to support him like he has me in recent days. After all that's what love is isn't it? And I love him. I truly do.


	12. Chapter 12

I wake up to the sun streaming in through my window and to the familiar feeling of nausea. I take a deep breath and rub my tummy waiting for it to pass.

"Morning little one." I say smiling as I think of my child and smooth my nightshirt over my growing bump. "And morning da…"

I stop as I turn over to face the area where Stitch had been laying cuddled up to me just hours earlier and feel tears burning behind my eyes as I see that its empty. His clothes are gone off the floor and there is no sign of him.

My heart breaks again as I think of the previous night and how much I'd let him in. He had opened up so much to me and done so much for me and the baby that I had truly been ready to give him the chance to be a father to our child and to take on the role of the loving partner he seemed to want to be. It once again was a beautiful and meaningful night. Our baby's first movement had been when we had kissed and yet now he was nowhere to be seen and once again the contentment I had felt was being stolen away because he had once again gone.

I cradle the bump in my hands unable to stop myself thinking of our little one being raised without its father. A father who had obviously got scared as soon as the reality of fatherhood and a long and loving relationship kicked in. I make a silent promise to our unborn child that I will love it enough for the both of us. I already love that little bean so much and I can't wait to hold my little girl in my arms, kiss her tiny nose and embrace the chance at motherhood that I've been given to a baby who already is my entire world.

A tear slips down my cheek as I look at the empty spot beside me and think how without Stitch, even after just a couple of nights of us being together, it feels that something is missing without him. Whether it's hormones, me wanting my baby to have its father there, love or a mixture of all I don't know. What I do know is I miss him. I miss the caring, considerate, loving man of those nights and his protective arms and I would actually give anything to have him there because he already has my heart so much.

As the baby flutters inside me a small smile appears on my face, one that widens when a figure appears in the doorway in a change of clothes, carrying a tray with some food and a mug of tea.

"Morning princess. How are my girls?" He asks placing the tray next to me on the bed, kissing the bump and then kissing my forehead.

"I…" I start, unable to find the words and ashamed for thinking that he had deserted me again.

He notices the trail left by tears on my cheeks and uses his fingertips to wipe them away.

"You thought I'd left you again." He whispers looking at the floor.

I sit quietly and stare at my hands.

"Sweetheart I'm not going anywhere. I promise you. You're my girls. I should never have left you like I did before. I will never do that again to either of you. I have too much to lose now." He reassures me placing a hand on the bump and smiling as our child flutters beneath it.

I look up at him with tear filled eyes and smile.

"I made you some more peppermint tea because I know how terrible you feel in the morning and there's some toast for you as well. I wasn't sure what you would manage. I've also been home, changed and have a little surprise for you downstairs after all it is the weekend and I thought you deserved a nice lie in."

"Thank you…" I tell him sincerely and curse myself for jumping to conclusions so quickly. "I really thought you'd gone. I thought I was going to be doing this alone."

"You're not. I promise you." He tells me, climbing up on to the bed beside me and kissing my head as I rest it on his shoulder.

"I could do it. I've done it before and I know I love this baby enough for two parents…it's just…"

"I know. I need you too." he replies giving me a warm smile. "I need you both more than I've ever needed anything in my life."

I take a bite of the toast and then frown.

"What's the surprise downstairs?" I ask remembering what he had said earlier, curiosity overcoming me.

Stitch grins, picks up a slice of toast and pushes it into my mouth. He then takes my tea in one of his hands, my hand in the other and leads me downstairs.

I gasp when I see it and look up at him wide eyed. He puts the tea down, takes my toast away and places it on the table and then leads me over to the most beautiful cot that I have ever seen.

"I hope you don't mind that I got it. I just wanted to get something special for her. I wanted to show you what she means to me. What you mean to me."

I run my hand along the wood and trace my fingers over the intricate carvings on the headboard. A teddy has been placed carefully inside with packs of blankets covered in little animals. A mobile also lays in there ready to be hung up.

"It's beautiful. It really is beautiful." I tell him lost for words.

He wraps his arms around me and they find their way to my stomach.

"Nothing is more beautiful than you. You and her are the most precious things in my life and I wanted to get something so precious to show you that."

"And you did Stitch. You truly did." I reply turning around to face him. I cup his cheeks in the palms of my hands and kiss him with everything that I'm feeling in my heart. When I pull away we both smile. "I'm glad you're here." I whisper into his ear.

"I'm glad too. For the first time in my life I'm right where I belong." he tells me taking my cheeks in his hands and pulling me close, kissing me back with all the emotion he has been pushing back for so long, finally able to bring it out in the open.


	13. Chapter 13

I sit on the sofa looking wistfully at the tiny clothes, bootees, mittens and toys that adorn the table in the lounge. After a long but fun afternoon where the house was filled with our closest friends for a baby shower the house is now once again quiet with the exception of Harry and Selena sat together on one of our armchairs talking to each other intimately, and Stitch laying with his head on my pregnant belly chattering away to our unborn child, occasionally looking up at me and grinning happily as I ruffle his hair affectionately, letting him know how adorable I think he is and just how much I love him.

As I look at him laying there I am filled with such pride. Here is a man who at first glance is cocky, arrogant, sarcastic and who can take an instant dislike to people and in response make their life a bit miserable, but also a man who has filled my life with such love and a happiness that I never thought possible for me to find again. He gave me the baby I'm carrying, he gave me his heart and while there have been times it has seemed he might falter he has always fought for what he wanted most, that turning out to be the family he always craved and of all the women he has pursued me. I'm the one who he has devoted himself to, come home to, loved and cherished and not a day has gone by where I have doubted the devotion he has shown me since he found out about our little girl. Our Sophia.

Every day he has held me in his arms and told me that he loved me. When things have upset him he's come to me rather than carry them within him and lock them away. He's taken comfort in my being there and the unconditional love I have given him and for that I have earned that love back in an immense amount. I have earned the trust of the man who was once so guarded and every morning I awake to him lying there having watched me sleep and been given a love you as soon as I open my eyes.

He is so excited about the baby that I feel kicking inside of me as he talks to it. She's already a daddy's girl of that I'm sure, and why shouldn't she be? He's been the doting daddy to be ever since we found out about her. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, not just for the mother but the father too and Stitch has embraced this pregnancy the same as I have since the moment I knew that she was inside of me. I never would have thought I'd be here now. Not when things broke down with Steve and the children left. Never did I dare to imagine this, but I've never been so happy in my life as I am sat here with my baby growing inside of me and the man I love chatting away to her as if she could understand every single word.

A little wail interrupts the conversations and I smile as I see our daughter standing up inside her play pen holding on to the side and watching what's going on in the room with curious brown eyes. Stitch immediately gets up carefully and walks over to her, picking her up and kissing her on her brown curls.

"Hello poppet." He tells her smiling and she grabs onto a chain he's wearing round his neck and closes her tiny fingers around it, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Dadadadad…" She responds giggling as he tickles her.

He sits down next to me and sets her down on his knee.

"Hello gorgeous." I whisper, tickling her as she reaches out to me. She squirms in Stitches arms and then smiles as he kisses her nose.

Every day I cant help thinking how lucky we are to be blessed with such a beautiful little girl. She looks just like her father, with beautiful curls, dark eyes and cheeks that are flushed with sleep. She'll never know the torment I suffered during those first few months that I was carrying her or how scared I was that I might never see a day like this the day I found the blood. She's absolutely perfect in our eyes and I'm so glad she's here.

As she reaches out again I take her into my arms, sitting her on my lap and smiling as she kisses the bump which houses her sister.

"Aren't you a good girl." Selena says to our daughter.

"Lena…" she says back waving at her surrogate aunt.

Selena smiles at the little girl and Harry rubs her back lovingly as she then looks up at him smiling. I'm not the only one sitting here with a bump. Selena is pregnant by a man who loves her and with a baby that she adores. There were no doubts the moment she found out about this baby. I should know I was there. She did the test in my bathroom while Sophia and I stood outside the door offering baby talk and words of encouragement. Instead of tears of fear and frustration there were tears of joy as she walked out of the bathroom with her hand on her as yet non existent bump saying 'I'm going to be a mummy' and while I know she'll always grieve for the little life she terminated I also know she's going to be a wonderful mother. She already is and her baby hasn't even been born yet.

I kiss Sophia on the forehead and she snuggles up against me, her thumb going into her mouth. Stitch is watching us with such a look of love on his face and I hear him whisper 'my girls' under his breath before he puts an arm around me and I rest my head on his shoulder feeling a gentle kiss land on my hair. I, Maggie Lambert, am truly, honestly happy and it's all because of the man who held me hostage and a baby girl called Sophia Rose.


End file.
